Sunnie Kim had been looking for a house for two years when her brother called in 2010 to say he'd found one she might like in a wooded area of La Cañada Flintridge. "It was love at first sight," recalls Kim, who fell for the midcentury home that is set below street level and embraced by giant redwood, oak and maple trees.
But the 1958 residence was "cramped and boxy" inside and in need of a major renovation, says Kim, who is president of Hana Financial. "It was important to me that the house engage more with the beautiful natural setting of the property, as well as to create a tranquil escape from my hectic day-to-day business life.